'North of Bay Street': Panel Picks Development For Downtown Lakeland

Artist's renderings from Wallis Murphey Boyington Architects Inc., show the plans for a downtown Lakeland development proposed by Broadway RES, LLC. The NOBAY — North of Bay Street — development would be a 100,000-square-foot, four-story, mixed-use building that would cover three-quarters of a city block.
(PROVIDED TO THE LEDGER)

By RYAN E. LITTLETHE LEDGER

Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 3:28 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 3:28 a.m.

LAKELAND | A Lakeland selection committee Monday chose a more ambitious development to replace a failed development once slated for the city-owned Bay Street parking lot.

The committee chose Broadway Real Estate Services' project, called NOBAY Village, as its favorite of three proposals to redevelop the downtown parking lot along the north side of Bay between Kentucky and Tennessee avenues.

The idea behind the name is that NOBAY is for "north of Bay Street," like New York City's SoHo stands for "south of Houston Street." And the project would be unlike anything else in downtown Lakeland, said Matt Clark, president of Broadway Real Estate.

Broadway's offering was one of three considered at a meeting to rank proposals received by the city. The city has been looking for a new developer for the site since December, when a Daytona Beach company named White Challis Redevelopment pulled out of plans to redevelop the 53,000-square-foot parcel.

Broadway's proposal is the most grand of the three.

The company's pitch is to construct a 100,000 square-foot, four-story, mixed-use building that would fill the lot, which takes up three-quarters of a city block. The project was unanimously voted the top proposal by the eight committee members, who are high-ranking city officials.

Broadway's plan calls for the city to waive all impact fees, all city utility connection costs and fees and all streetscaping expenses, with the total capped at $500,000. Broadway would cover costs beyond that.

The proposal would replace the 142 parking spaces at the Bay Street parking lot by creating 130 spaces in a covered first-floor garage. Broadway said it will pay the city about $265,000 for the lot.

Coming in at No. 2 on Monday was a proposal by Winter Haven-based Tom Wolf Co. to construct a 50,000-square-foot, three-story, mixed-use building, and third was one from Green Mills LLC for a 58,600-square-foot, three-story mixed-use building that would be composed of mostly low-income housing.

Tom Wolf Co. offered $200,000 for the land and gave no limit on the impact fees and street-scaping contribution it wanted from the city.

Broadway's proposal still faces further reviews before construction can began. First it must be approved by the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board at its Thursday meeting at City Hall and later by the Lakeland City Commission.

Still, Clark said he is excited about the prospect.

"There's been no material residential development (downtown) in about a decade, and this will, hopefully, spur all kinds of other downtown development projects," he said.

"We think people want to live in a downtown setting, and we don't feel like we have a lot of competition."

Broadway's proposal is even more grand than that of White Challis. Where White Challis planned to build 21 lofts, 14 two- and three-story townhouses and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Broadway proposed 75 to 85 apartments, including two-story townhouses, and 12,000 square feet of retail space. And White Challis was going to receive the property for free.

If approved, Clark said, construction on the building will start in June 2015 and be finished by the end of June 2016.

"It is somewhat ambitious," he said. "From our side, we are sure we could perform on that, and we are sure the city (could get us through permitting to keep us on track), too."

[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-802-7592. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan. ]

<p>LAKELAND | A Lakeland selection committee Monday chose a more ambitious development to replace a failed development once slated for the city-owned Bay Street parking lot.</p><p>The committee chose Broadway Real Estate Services' project, called NOBAY Village, as its favorite of three proposals to redevelop the downtown parking lot along the north side of Bay between Kentucky and Tennessee avenues.</p><p>The idea behind the name is that NOBAY is for "north of Bay Street," like New York City's SoHo stands for "south of Houston Street." And the project would be unlike anything else in downtown Lakeland, said Matt Clark, president of Broadway Real Estate.</p><p>Broadway's offering was one of three considered at a meeting to rank proposals received by the city. The city has been looking for a new developer for the site since December, when a Daytona Beach company named White Challis Redevelopment pulled out of plans to redevelop the 53,000-square-foot parcel.</p><p>Broadway's proposal is the most grand of the three. </p><p>The company's pitch is to construct a 100,000 square-foot, four-story, mixed-use building that would fill the lot, which takes up three-quarters of a city block. The project was unanimously voted the top proposal by the eight committee members, who are high-ranking city officials.</p><p>Broadway's plan calls for the city to waive all impact fees, all city utility connection costs and fees and all streetscaping expenses, with the total capped at $500,000. Broadway would cover costs beyond that.</p><p>The proposal would replace the 142 parking spaces at the Bay Street parking lot by creating 130 spaces in a covered first-floor garage. Broadway said it will pay the city about $265,000 for the lot. </p><p>Coming in at No. 2 on Monday was a proposal by Winter Haven-based Tom Wolf Co. to construct a 50,000-square-foot, three-story, mixed-use building, and third was one from Green Mills LLC for a 58,600-square-foot, three-story mixed-use building that would be composed of mostly low-income housing. </p><p>Tom Wolf Co. offered $200,000 for the land and gave no limit on the impact fees and street-scaping contribution it wanted from the city.</p><p>Broadway's proposal still faces further reviews before construction can began. First it must be approved by the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board at its Thursday meeting at City Hall and later by the Lakeland City Commission. </p><p>Still, Clark said he is excited about the prospect.</p><p>"There's been no material residential development (downtown) in about a decade, and this will, hopefully, spur all kinds of other downtown development projects," he said. </p><p>"We think people want to live in a downtown setting, and we don't feel like we have a lot of competition."</p><p>Broadway's proposal is even more grand than that of White Challis. Where White Challis planned to build 21 lofts, 14 two- and three-story townhouses and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Broadway proposed 75 to 85 apartments, including two-story townhouses, and 12,000 square feet of retail space. And White Challis was going to receive the property for free.</p><p>If approved, Clark said, construction on the building will start in June 2015 and be finished by the end of June 2016.</p><p>"It is somewhat ambitious," he said. "From our side, we are sure we could perform on that, and we are sure the city (could get us through permitting to keep us on track), too."</p><p>[ Ryan Little can be reached at ryan.little@theledger.com or 863-802-7592. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan. ]</p>